Self-propelled sleigh



J. BEREZNAY.

SELF PROPELLED SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. I920.

Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR 06hr: Berg??? BY ATTORNEY J. BEREZNAY.

SELF PROPELLED SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.28.1920.

1,345,062. I Patented June 29,1920.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I I 10 1/ 5 O O O J- INVENTOR Jbhn Berg?? ATTORNEY JOHN BEREZNA Y, F THROOP, PENNSYLVANIA.

' sELr-rmrELLEn SLEIGH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J ne 29, 192() Application filed February 28, 1920. Serial No. 361,966.

To till-whom it may concern. Be it known that I, JOHN BEREZNAY, c1t1- zen of the United States, and resident of Throop, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Propelled Sleighs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self propelling sleighs and especially to the means eI'n-.

ployed for engaging the surface on which the vehicle rests for propelling the vehicle.

The object of this invention is the provision of revoluble means, positive in opera tion and smooth in action, forfirmly gripping a slip erfisurface such as ice or hard snow on w ic the vehiclemay rest, and

for acting as a fulcrum about which thevehicle may be moved.

For the attainment of the aforesaid and other objects, I employ the arrangement and combination of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention as it appears attached to a motor sleigh. Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial section of one of the propelling wheels designed to act when it rotates in a direction suitable tion, two sets of driving wheels 1 and 2 are mounted on a shaft 3 driven in any suitable manner, not necessary to be here described, from the vehicle motor, the weight of said vehicle being sustained on sleigh v runners of the usual type.

Shaft 3 is normally rotated in the proper direction to drive the vehicle forward, in which case wheels 1 operate to rip the surface 4 to propel the vehicle. en it is desired to reverse the motion, shaft 3 is rotated in the opposite direction by the usual mechanism, provided for that purpose, whereby wheels 2 are automatically put into action. A description of one of the driving wheels will suffice for all, it being remembered that one set, aswheels 1, is designed to operate when the driving shaft is rotated in one direction, and the other set as 2, is

designed to operate when said shaft isrotated in the oppositedirection. r

Each of said wheels :has a central hub 5, which has radially mounted thereon, a series of open hollow cylinders 6 each flared at the outer end thereof at 7. Lugs 8 project radially from the cylindrical surface of hub '5 andare adapted to securely hold one end ofspring 9, the other end of whichis attached to ear 10 of gripper 11. Said gri per is notched at its outer end to provi e sharp edges as 12, for firmly engaging surface 4, as will be more fully described hereinafter, the other end of said gripper being pivotally attached between flanges 13 of the gripper projecting from said cylinder a suflicient distance to allow edges-12 to cut into surface 4 on the rotation of said wheel in the proper direction.

For resisting any inward radial movement of said plunger within said c linder 6, a spring 15 is arranged inside 0 plunger 14, the inner end of said spring resting against disk 16, which is suitably fastened to hub 5, as by pin projection 17 and rivet 18, said rivet also acting to .hold cylinder 6 to said hub. An opening 19 is made in flared end 7 ofcylinder 6 to allow ear 10 to project therethrough. A pin 20 is secured in plunger 14 and moves in slot 21 of cylinder 6 on the movement of said plunger to prevent displacement of said plunger about its axis.

The operation of my improved wheel is as follows:

Power being applied to shaft'3 in the proper direction to forward the vehicle, both sets of wheels 1 and 2, are rotated. The grippers 11 of set 2, on rotation in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 2, will, on striking surface 4, be swun about pivot pin 22 until ear 1O strikes the ottom of slot 19, in which position said grippers are dragged over surface 4 until lifted therefrom, by the continued rotationof said wheel. It will be obvious that sharp edges 12 of the grippers cannot cut into surface 4, since no resistance is offered to the rotation of said gripper ward motion of the vehicle continues so long as edges 12 remain incontact with surface4.

about pivot 22 whereb preciable pressure of s surface.

On the other hand, rotation of wheel 1 in the direction of the arrow in Fi 2, will cause said edges 12 of gripper 11 to fie firmly pressed into the surface 4by the tendency of said gripper to rotate about ivot 22 against t e action of spring 9. hen the gripper is swung about pivot .22, the distance of'edges 12 from the center-of wheel 1 increases, and the point of contact of said edges with the surface 4 becomes a fulcrum about whichthe force rotating shaft 3 forces the vehicle forward. I Continued rotation of shaft 3 after the first contact is made between gripper 11 and surface 4 straightens out said gripper so that the axisthereof I there can be no aparp edges 12 on said and the axis of cylinder 6 be practically a straight line, a v

Spring 15 has sufficient resistant" properties to ordinarily prevent gripper ll from forcing plunger 14 inwardly, but is. designed to take up anyunevenness in the surface4 .v

by-which extraordinary pressure is put on said plunger. striking a bump in distance of edges 12 from shaft 3 is decreased, plunger 14 moving inwardly and the shock being taken up by spring 15. For- The number of cylinders 6 and grippers the surface 4, another one comes into contact therewith so that continuous, l smooth and positive motion is assured.

ear for normall In vthe event of the grip r" the ground, the ra ial- -What I claim is: v

1. In a self propelled slei h, a wheel comprising a hub, a hollow cy inder flared at its outer end on one side, mounted radially-in said hub, a hollow cylindrical plunger open at its inner end and closed at its outer end mounted for radial reciprocation in said cylinder, flanges at the outer end of said plunger, a spring inside said plunger for urging ,said plun r to its outermost position, a gripper having two rip ing edges pivoted between the flanges o sai' plun ers, an ear on said gri per, alu "on said ub, and a springattac ed to sai lug and said tionof sai'd wheel-'.,

pressing said gripper "against the flare surface of said cylinder for holding said ripper inclined to the ra- Edius'ofsa-id whee in the direction ofrota- 2. :Inse1ffpr6'pe1led sleigh, a spoke and F element for a rimless wheel prising a lijollow -j cylinder .fiared at its outer end at one side thereoflmollnted radially in S awnee :a' hollowwcylindrical plunger er-having a notch at the-'outerven'd thereo to form two gripping vedges pivoted between said flanges, and

' in the direction of rotationof saidwheel. 11 is such that as'one of said grippers-leaves Signed at-T-hroop in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania ,this 25 day of February A. D. 1920.

I gun y i gl f l e iprocation in aid 1c linden? fiange pz ttth outer'iend of Said p unger',a.' fl p JOHN BEREZNAY. j 

